


we're the predators, now; are you ready to be prey?

by pawn_vs_player



Series: DefectTale [8]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: All aboard the tragedy train!, Altered Mental States, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Dark, Angst and Feels, Angst and Tragedy, Betrayal, Blood and Gore, Chara Has Issues, Chara Is Not A Good Person, Chara Is Their Own Warning, Cliffhangers, Codependency, Crossing Timelines, Dark Sans, Darkest Timeline, DefectTale is hopping universes and destroying alternate timelines, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Manipulation, Frisk is still relevant I swear, Gen, Horror, Lies, Mental Health Issues, Metafiction, Murder, Murder Duo, Mystery, POV Second Person, Past Brainwashing, Post-Undertale Genocide Route, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route - "I want to stay with you.", Psychological Trauma, SOUL Mechanics (Undertale), Sans Has Issues, Temporary Character Death, Torture, Unhealthy Relationships, Unreliable Narrator, but not for long, it's often the offscreen characters who have the most impact, keeping secrets, the cast's all here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-26
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-17 01:09:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8124763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pawn_vs_player/pseuds/pawn_vs_player
Summary: The machine works. DefectTale spreads the LOVE to other timelines and universes.(Oh, and the puppetmaster is slowly coming onstage, but we aren't talking about them.)(("Re-Fuse" route.))





	1. an untread path

**Author's Note:**

> *This is the counterpart to "wipe away your sins, child, let us start anew".  
> *If you want an improbably fluffy ending to this 'verse, get out of this story and click on that one.  
> *If you want a more realistic ending, well...  
> *This is the "Re-Fuse" route, basically the equivalent to a No Mercy run except carried out over multiple timelines/AUs.  
> *Happy tragedy, everyone.  
> *(The author highly suggests that you keep yourself updated with the tags. They change, and every change has meaning.)  
> *The author thanks you all for getting this far in this series, for every hit, every kudos, and especially every comment.  
> *It's because of you that the author even bother filling out this box.  
> *They love you all.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a metaphorical door opens, and a new road becomes available.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle in for a long ride with this one, folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The button glows green. The machine's humming intensifies. Chara squeaks and giggles in delight, clapping their hands.

"got your bag?" you ask. "got all your stuff?" You aren't planning on coming back here, if you're honest, though you will if they want to.

"--Yep,--" they say. "--Got everything you want? I'd rather not come back.--"

You tug at the sleeve of your scarlet-dotted white jacket. "yeah," you say. "got my coat, my ketchup, and my partner."

"--Awww,--" they say, and lean forward, legs wrapped around your neck, to smack a kiss onto your cheekbone. "--Flatterer.--"

"c'mon, kiddo," you say, stepping inside the machine. "where to?"

They type the search terms into the keyboard. Post-Pacifist route world, successful integration into human society, Frisk in control, less than one hundred resets. They aren't saving the best for last.

"--Ready?--"

"ready."

They lean down and press the button in your hands.

It feels like a reset. The world trembles and tears apart in pieces, leaving empty shards behind that are then refilled with something different. You feel like your soul is being tugged away from your bones, but you are determined to make it through and stay with your kid, and you do.

The sun is rising. You stand atop Mt Ebott, and Chara is at your side. They take your hand.

"--I have a plan,--" they say quietly.

You listen. Then you agree.

The two of you head down the mountain. The little town of Ebott is lit up and waiting for you.

You wonder what your own dust looks like.

Ah well. You'll find out soon enough.


	2. coat and dagger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which DefectTale Sans and Chara weave a sob story, are accepted into the fold, and claim their first victim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POV switch! God, I haven't used 3rd person in a while...  
> Just as a notification: when DefectTale Sans is thought of/referred to by an AU, he'll be called AltSans, since the characters themselves don't know of the different AU names. He doesn't care; he's Sans either way, no matter what they call him, and he isn't here to educate them on his name, he's here to get their dust on his hands.

It's coincidence that Toriel looks out the window at just the right moment. One second she's just enjoying the sight of soft white flakes drifting out of the sky, giving herself a brief reprieve from the clamor going on behind her, and then next there's two oddly familiar strangers standing in the street, a small skeleton without his signature jacket and a little child clinging to him, wrapped in a white coat with odd red stains.

"Sans?" she says aloud.

"yeah, tori?" comes from behind her. "what's goat-ing on?"

She shakes her head, turns to face Sans. The anniversary party is still in full swing, but Alphys, who's also been hanging out on the sidelines, seems to have noticed Toriel's consternation and is coming closer. "You... you don't happen to have any siblings other than Papyrus, do you? A twin, perhaps?"

Sans stares at her blankly. "uh... no. why?"

Toriel glances back at the window. The two mysterious figures are still in the street, but now the skeleton is knelt before the child, fixing their sweater and saying something. "Well..."

Sans looks out the window. His jaw falls open. "...oh."

Alphys comes up behind Toriel and peeks around her. "O-oh my! I'd theorized, b-but-"

"What?" Toriel asks. "You know what this is?"

"W-well," Alphys says, fiddling with her glasses. "I have a-an idea, but I c-can't know for certain y-yet."

"We should approach them," Toriel decides. Alphys bites at her lip.

"D-Do you think that's safe?"

"Yes," Toriel nods. She's a boss monster, she can handle a possible Sans and a child. Besides, she won't be alone.

"Sans, accompany me?"

He frowns. "...alright." His face brightens. "hey, if he's me, we get double the puns!"

Toriel chuckles. "Quite right. Alphys, inform Undyne in a few minutes, would you?" She doesn't want the former head of the now-disbanded Royal Guard to instigate a fight that doesn't have to happen. 

Alphys nods. "Of c-course, my lady!" She scurries off.

Toriel smiles at Sans. "Are you ready, lazybones?"

"i was _bone_ -rn ready."

 

The skeleton looks up fast when Toriel and Sans step out onto their porch. He darts in front of the child, arms coming out at his sides, left eye sparking blue. 

"We do not wish to harm you," Toriel calls. She takes a few steps closer, boots crunching in the snow. 

The skeleton looks at Sans. 

"you can trust her," Sans says. "promise."

The child tugs at the hem of the skeleton's shirt. He crouches to listen to them, not taking his eyes off Toriel and Sans. He nods once, then straightens, scooping the child up in his arms and letting them scramble up his frame to settle atop his shoulders. The fluffy hood of their white jacket drapes across their eyes, shadowing their face from Toriel's eyes.

The skeleton pats the child's leg. "what timeline is this?"

Toriel blinks. Sans' eyes have gone dark beside her. "I do not understand your question," she says, coming closer. The child pats the skeleton's shoulder, whispers something Toriel can't quite hear.

"is frisk around?" the skeleton asks. Toriel purses her lips.

"How do you know of my child? Who are you?"

The skeleton snorts. "what, don't recognize me without the jacket? i know i wore that thing everywhere, but i didn't think i was so forgettable."

"hey," Sans says. "who's the kid?"

The skeleton considers Sans. Toriel feels cold and confused. 

"you're the judge too, right? tell me what timeline this is."

Sans sighs sharply. "we're all good, alright? frisk broke the barrier and the humans haven't restarted the war. we're good."

The skeleton's shoulders slump a little. "thank god."

"where are you coming from, then?" Sans prods. It feels a little as though they've entirely forgotten that Toriel is there. "and why d'you have the kid, if your world was so bad?"

"the kid wasn't the problem," the skeleton shoots back. "it was-"

He cuts off, looking away. The child wraps their arms around his skull and hugs gently. He reaches up to pat their side gratefully.

"Would you like to come inside?" Toriel asks, for lack of anything else to say. "I promise no one will harm you... though I cannot promise that Undyne will not try."

The skeleton snorts. "yeah, that's familiar," he says. "okay."

 

They end the party early, sending the guests home with apologies and promises to make it up on another day. AltSans and the child stay in the shadows of the living room until they're all cleared out, and only the seven occupants of the house are left. (Mettaton and Napstablook live next door.)

Alphys is the one to explain the sudden appearance of another, strange Sans and the child on his shoulders. "It's the multiverse theory," she explains, stutter gone in the face of scientific confidence. "The belief is that each choice, each minor possibility, creates a new universe. For example, there's at least one universe where Undyne and I never become involved-" Undyne makes a distressed fish noise. "-and at least one, ours, where we are." She shoots her girlfriend a shy smile. "Personally, I like this one."

"So... what's the difference in your universe?" Undyne asks AltSans. He looks at the floor.

"i... i..."

The child slips off his shoulders, thumping to the floor. They immediately reach up to take his hand, small brown fingers peaking out of the white sleeve. Toriel is still trying to decide whether the child is Frisk or not; the hood of the coat hides their face, and she hasn't heard them speak. Besides, they're taller than her child.

"I broke the barrier," the child whispers. 

It's Frisk's voice.

"I broke the barrier, b-but... the humans..." They shudder, press closer to AltSans. "I went to the mountain to get away from them. I'd hoped they change when I came back, but..."

Toriel thinks of the tension and mistrust between humans and monsters even to this day, a full two years after the barrier broke. She imagines what horrors might have occurred had that tension broken in a bad way, and her stomach twists.

"we didn't stand a chance," AltSans mutters. He refuses to look at any of them. "'specially after the kid befriended everyone- no one wanted to fight, and the humans... their weapons had only advanced since we were sent underground. it was an unfair fight from the beginning."

"I'm sorry," Toriel says softly. "Is... is there anyone else-"

"we're it," AltSans says sharply. "alphys was working on something before- before they got her. we fixed it up and left. it brought us here. we're... there's no one else left."

The child's hooded face is tucked into AltSans' side, fists clenched in his shirt. He pets their hair reassuringly, but his eyesockets are empty, black pits. "can we not talk about this? the kid gets anxious."

"Of course," Toriel says soothingly. Her Sans and Undyne look furious, Alphys looks sick, Asgore looks mournful, Papyrus went to bed an hour ago, and Frisk is curled in a ball on the couch. This story can't be good for them either. "Is there anything we can do to help you?"

AltSans shrugs. "not kill us?" 

AltFrisk tugs at his sleeve. He crouches down to listen.

"they want to go back to the underground," he explains, and shrugs. "i'm good with that."

Toriel feels unsettled by the idea, but then, she cannot understand the horror these two must have lived through. If going back to the Underground will make them feel safe, she will allow it. "Alright. Is it alright if we visit you?"

AltSans considers it. "...yeah. yeah, i think so. thanks."

"It is no trouble," Toriel smiles.

AltSans smiles back.

 

It's almost disgustingly easy. How could these people pose a challenge to anyone? Sure, alternate you has a few tricks up his sleeve- he  _is_ a you, after all- and every Undyne is badass, but really?  _Really?_  

"idiots," you mutter, cross-legged in the vacant Snowdin town. The Underground here is entirely empty, no secret Alphyses to hide. "all idiots." Just a few crocodile tears, some darker possibilities voiced, and you get a free ticket to stay indefinitely. Good god, these people don't stand a chance.

"--We'll show them the truth, partner,--" Chara giggles, skipping over from their inspection of an empty house. "--We'll show them what the real world is like soon enough.--"

 

As it turns out, the Underground is not entirely empty. You hadn't seen your old bud in Toriel's house, but you hadn't assumed that meant he was down here.

Chara finds him first, actually, and yells until you hear. 

"--Heya, partner!--" they chirp. Flowey's dangling in their tight grasp, squirming and hissing curses. "--Look who I found!--"

"heh," you say, and cock your head at him. Your eye sparks danger blue. "hiya, bud. d'you know who we are?"

"Chara!" Flowey says quickly, looking pleadingly up at the kid. "I know you're in there! I don't know why you brought the smiley trashbag down here with you, but-"

Chara snarls. Quicker than you or the flower can react, they've ripped one of Flowey's petals right off his head.

Everything is silent for a moment. Flowey's eyes are wide with shock and horror; you, too, are stunned.

And then Flowey wails, and you start to laugh.

"man, kid," you say, almost too quiet beneath Flowey's agonized cries. "i thought you needed a blade to whack that weed."

Chara giggles. Then they crouch down to slam Flowey's face into the dirt until he shuts up. "--Nah,--" they say. "--My hands will do just as well.--"

"that much is clear," you say, and walk closer to ruffle their hair. "so. d'ya want to take him with us, or..."

They snort. "--What do you think?--"

*The thought of giving their old friend a taste of his own medicine fills them with d e t e r m i n a t i o n.

You grin. "well, if you want to give him a b a d t i m e, then i won't stamen in your way, partner."

They giggle. Flowey whimpers into the dirt.

 

His dust is tinged with yellow. Strange. He hadn't dusted in your universe.

"how long do you want to give them?" you ask.

They shrug. "--Couple weeks, maybe? I've missed Mom's pies.--"

"sure."


	3. someone get a janitor in here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Murder Duo shanks monster ass at hunting games- except, oh yeah, this isn't a game anymore- and Alphys has a final form.  
> Also, cliffhangers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:D  
> I love being evil, yes I do~~  
> Oh, and uh... you might want to look up the "Alphys NEO" fight on YouTube for reference for this chapter. I used it as reference ;)

Flowey's dust is still on your hands and on your shorts when the other you appears. Most likely, Toriel sent him to check up on you on the one-week mark. 

Heh. Wonder how she'll feel when she realizes that she sent her friend to his death?

"heya," he says, and gets within five feet before he sees the faded dust on Chara's boots. He freezes.

"what... what did you..."

"--It was just a flower,--" Chara says dismissively. "--A soulless one, at that. And you seem like you remember everything he did to you.--" Their head tilts, a sharp-toothed smirk slashing across their face. "--Why do you care what happened to him?--"

"you said..." Other you's eye sockets go black. "you're not frisk."

"--Of course not!--" Chara chirps. They pull a knife out of their boot; this one is a four-inch long blade, with the inch and a half closest to the handle serrated. Chara knows how to pick 'em. "--Huh. Have you never fought me here?--"

The blank surprise on his face is all the answer needed. Chara's laugh echoes. "--Oh my god, you haven't! Oh this is just  _wonderful._ \--"

Other-you turns to you, searching for some source of help. He is met with one blue eye and a blaster hovering over your shoulder. "sorry, pal, but my partner comes first."

You aren't really sorry, of course, but it feels like the right thing to say.

He steps back. "welp. i'm outta here, then."

His hand raises to snap, to shortcut away, to spill the beans and spoil the game.

He never makes it there.

Your bone pierces his soul and he freezes.

_HP: 0/1._

"what... what are you?" he whispers, staring at you. His eyes are empty. Dust drifts off his skull, his hands. "how could i ever be you?"

You shrug. 

"tibia honest, it's all in the soul."

He blinks. His hands are dust. His clothes are drifting to the ground emptily. 

"you have a working one," you say. "or, well, you did."

Chara giggles. "--Two down,--" they say. 

 

Your dust, his dust, is tinted red. You aren't surprised.

You take his shirt and shake the dust off it. You give Chara your jacket and pull his on.

"want some pie, kiddo?"

"--Of course!--" they chirp. They're sitting next to the bunny slippers, running their fingers through the pile of dust. "--See you soon, partner! Don't start without me!--"

 

They really are idiots. Just a jacket and a shirt without bloodstains, a few quick puns, references to the pacifist runs you remember from your timeline, and a request for pie, and they let you waltz right out. No idea that fifteen minutes ago, you murdered yourself. No idea that right now, his dust is being played with by the stuff of their nightmares. No idea that the skeleton they smile at and tease and love isn't their Sans at all.

You're beginning to understand why Flowey was always so angry at the end of Frisk's runs. These people have no damn idea how the real world works.

 

Papyrus hugs you before you leave. "HOW ARE THEY, BROTHER?"

You pause. You can't think of a single thing to say for a long moment.

"as well as can be expected," you say. 

You shortcut away. You don't care if it's suspicious. It all leads to the same end result anyway.

 

You hand Chara their slice of pie and settle down to eat your own. They slip it away into their bag- presumably the magic of bendable spacetime will keep it from smearing all over everything else in there- and sit with their chin in their hands, watching you.

"--How do you eat?--"

You shrug. "monster food ain't like human food, kiddo." To demonstrate, you take a bite and pull off your shirt, letting them watch as the food swiftly transforms into magic which is then absorbed into you. "if i ate human food, it'd probably just fall out onto the floor."

"--Cool.--"

 

You don't go back up that night. You're sure the occupants of this world are getting suspicious, but you don't care. You don't want to leave your partner again.

You keep your counterpart's jacket. While Chara sleeps, you gather up the reddish dust on the ground and stuff it into your pockets. Shock and horror is always an advantage.

 

Chara notices it in the morning and giggles wildly. "--You have the  _best_ ideas.--"

You smirk at them. "pretty sure they noticed i didn't come back last night. you've had your pie. ready to have fun?"

They dig around in their backpack, tucking knives into their boots, their pockets, up their sleeves. They hold one and zip the bag closed with their other hand, shooting a grin up at you. Their eyes glitter crimson.

"--Yep.--"

 

"BROTHER?"

Papyrus' voice rings through Waterfall and is picked up by the flowers.  _brother? brother? brother?_

 _Nope,_ you think.  _Your brother's a pile of dust in my pocket._

You put your hand on Chara's shoulder. They tuck their free hand into your pocket. "do you wanna..."

They giggle quietly. "--Let's leave him for last.--"

God, they're cruel. It's fantastic.

You grin. "gotcha."

 

You shortcut back up to the surface. Mettaton's on the front porch, speaking with Toriel. Frisk is playing in the snow in the yard with Alphys and Undyne. 

"Sans!" Undyne calls. "Why'd you stay out last night?" She notices the child wrapped in white at your side. "Why d'you have the other kid with you?"

You smile at her. You say nothing.

Chara slips their hand out of your pocket and runs up to Undyne. She looks at them curiously. "What is it, kid?"

They smile angelically and hold out their cupped palms.

They've stolen a handful of the dust from your pocket.

Undyne takes a moment to understand what Chara is showing her. Then she makes a strangled noise and jerks back. Frisk, close enough to see, goes pale and stumbles back. Alphys comes closer. "Undyne? Wh-what-"

She sees Chara's prize. She looks sick.

"Fr-Frisk?"

"--Nah,--" they say. They tilt their head and tip their fist, letting the dust trickle out onto the snow in a steady stream. "--Hey, did you know that dust is different colors depending on the monster?--"

Alphys is trembling. Undyne's teeth grind together.

"--I'll be honest,--" Chara continues, and flicks their wrist to allow the knife in their sleeve to slide down into their palm. "--I was expecting blue, or just plain white- for bones, y'know? But it's red! You know what red means, don't you?--"

Undyne summons her spears. "WHERE IS SANS?!"

"right here," you say, and wave. She glares.

" _Our_ Sans." She's quieter now, like she already knows the answer but is asking anyway out of blind hope. 

You wink at her. "The kiddo just gave him to ya."

Alphys turns green. Frisk gets up, sobbing, and runs to Toriel, who's now looking over, attention grabbed by Undyne's yelling. 

Undyne roars. "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE FOR THIS!"

*Undyne attacks Chara.

Chara dodges the first volley and slips out between Undyne's legs, running over to you. Their grin stretches wide and red across their face. You smile back, raise your hand, and summon your attack.

*You attack UNDYNE THE UNDYING.

*Undyne has lost half her health!

She stumbles, blue bones sticking out of her shoulder, her torso, her leg. Alphys screams her name. Toriel shouts. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Frisk's shoulders shaking with the force of their tears and Mettaton's arm shifting into a cannon.

"You... you piece of shit," Undyne snarls. "How dare you wear his jacket!"

"it's mine too," you say calmly. She forces herself to her feet, ripping bones free of her torn flesh. You summon more. Chara smirks, hugging your leg.

"No," Undyne summons more spears. "It," the sky glows with their blue light. "ISN'T!" She sends them flying toward you.

*Undyne is attacking you.

You summon a bone, spinning it steadily around you. Chara grabs one of the spears you block and snaps it in half over their knee. You both use your improvised shields. Chara isn't quick enough, and is hit by a spear.

*Chara loses 7 HP.

Undyne's attack peters out. 

"--My turn!--" Chara cheers, and dashes forward. They skid across the snow, knife glinting in their hand: Undyne raises her spear, and Chara leaps, practically flying. They dash along the spear itself, laughing, and bury their knife into Undyne's intact eye. 

Undyne falls.

"D-damn you," she rasps. Her spear shatters on impact with the ground.

*The F a l l e n C h i l d has killed Undyne.

The noise that comes from Alphys' throat is unbearable. You wince and send a bone or five her way to make her shut up. She loses a couple hundred HP, but she refuses to stop.

Chara giggles, scooping up a handful of Undyne's greenish dust. Toriel is staring, frozen in shock, from the porch. Mettaton is undergoing transformation: Mettaton NEO, the killing machine from Chara's nightmares. 

Quicker than anyone else can react, Chara sprints over to Alphys and pours the handful of Undyne's dust over her head.

Alphys throws up. Chara's laugh rings high and maniacal into the air. Toriel yells in rage.

Chara is not quite swift enough to dodge Toriel's fireball.

*Chara loses 20 HP.

You shortcut over to Toriel. You wonder, in the moment between, if this Sans had really been her friend. If he'd loved her like he clearly loved Papyrus. You wonder what that might feel like.

Your bone buries itself in her chest. She stumbles back, gasping.

*Toriel has lost 445 HP.

She sends fire at you. You twist space to your will and step out behind her. Mettaton, locked out by the rules of battle, glares daggers at you. 

You summon a blaster.

Toriel turns just in time to take the blast directly to the face.

"MOM!"

*Toriel has lost 4909 HP.

Frisk scrambles to their feet. "MOM! NO!"

"G-get back, child," Toriel says, pushing her child away. Her eyes rise to meet yours. 

"How can you do this?" she asks, very quietly.

You give her your trademark smile. "because it's fun."

*Toriel attacks you.

It's easy, until it isn't, and there's a huge fireball headed directly for your face and you can't dodge quick enough-

Chara is in front of you, arms spread, knife clattering to the floorboards of the porch.

*Chara has 08 HP.

They fall to their knees, panting, coat smoldering. They look up at you and smile. 

"--H-heya, partner.--"

Your eye and s o u l blaze red. 

*You are d e t e r m i n e d to save your partner.

*You are d e t e r m i n e d to end this timeline the way you want it to end.

*You are d e t e r m i n e d to show Toriel and the rest of these inferior things what happens to people who hurt your kid.

You warp Chara behind you with a gentle shift of blue magic. Then you raise your hand and surround Toriel in a wall of blasters.

"see ya, old lady."

She screams when she dusts. Frisk is screaming too. 

_MOMMY!_

Chara uses you as a support to pull themself to their feet. They open their backpack in the lull, pull out the slice of pie and eat it. They lick butterscotch and cinnamon filling off their fingers, looking at Toriel's purple-tinged dust.

*Chara's HP has been maxed out.

They pat the embers out of their singed coat and hand it to you. They pick the knife up from the porch and turn to see Asgore standing in his garden, staring in shock, trident clasped in his hands. You pull your jacket on and drop other-you's to the ground. Chara takes your hand and you shortcut the two of you over. 

Chara draws their blades. You summon your blasters and form a high wall of bones around the three of you. No one can interfere with this battle. 

"--Heya, daddy,--" Chara giggles. They flick dust off their cheek with the flat of their knife. "--I like the color of Mommy's dust. Don't you?--"

Asgore roars and swings his trident. You turn Chara's soul blue and pull them out of the way, flinging them high and bringing them down on Asgore's back. They wrap their legs around Asgore's shoulders and draw their knives across his neck. He gurgles, and Chara rolls away as he drops to one knee, hand pressed to his throat. You tug Chara behind you and blast him.

For the former king of monsters, Asgore is embarrassingly easy to defeat. No wonder the monsters got locked underground, if this was the man leading the war effort. It's pathetic. You're glad you don't work for him anymore.

You drop the bone wall. Chara turns around, grinning, and meets Mettaton NEO's glowing pink eye. 

"--This one's mine,--" they tell you. "--Deal with the lizard, will you?--"

Alphys. They want you to kill Alphys.

Well. You've already spared her once. And this isn't  _your_ Alphys, anyway.

And her crying is getting  _really_ annoying.

You shortcut over. You hear Mettaton NEO's cannon charging, Chara laughing. Frisk's soft sobs.

Alphys looks up at you. Her eyes are red and wet.

"You monster."

"guilty as charged," you wink. You summon a blaster. "i can make this quick, or you can try and fight me. the you in my timeline was good to me, so i'll let you pick." You brush dust off your hands. It falls to the snowy ground, mingling with Undyne's. Alphys shudders.

"I... I..."

"Fight him, darling!" Mettaton NEO yells across the snowy yard. "Give him everything you've got!"

She's Alphys. She doesn't have all that much.

She swallows and clenches her fists. "I never thought I'd really have to use this," she says, and reaches into her lab coat pocket. "But you..." She pulls out a sealed syringe full of glowing red liquid. She uncaps it. "You  _deserve it._ " She stabs it into her arm.

She bursts into red light. You throw your arm over your eyes. Mettaton makes an encouraging noise as he parries Chara's blow.

*Alphys is d e t e r m i n e d to avenge her family.

When the light fades, her lab coat has transformed into a vampire-style white and pink cloak which swirls dramatically, and there's an anime-style sword in her hands and glowing blue goggles on her face. Through them, her eyes shine scarlet.

(Apparently this Alphys is as much a drama queen as yours was. You find it oddly comforting.)

"You're going to pay for Undyne," she hisses. Her stutter is gone in the face of her rage and determination. She raises her sword. 

You grin with all your teeth. You throw your hand up and cage her in glowing blue bones, slowly bringing them in closer to her, shrinking her cage.

*You are d e t e r m i n e d to win and make Chara proud.

She swings her sword with a surprising amount of success, cutting her way free. "If you'd actually been from this timeline," she says, smiling, "you'd know that Undyne's been training me!"

Alphys stabs her sword into the sky. Light flashes at her sides, and then she has a pair of blasters charging right at you. 

You mutter a curse and shortcut away, behind her. You send a flurry of bones through her back. She doubles over, but she's not nearly done yet.

"huh," you say, as she turns to face you and pulls one of the bones out of her midsection. "guess this me didn't destroy those schematics, huh?"

She doesn't bother answering you. Her eyes flicker over your shoulder, to where Chara is attacking Mettaton. 

_You'll have to try harder than that, darling!_

_\--Oh trust me, I will, you glitter-encrusted dumpster!--_

"he'll never win," you tell her calmly. "chara is very good at what we do."

"And you?" Alphys asks, darting forward with her sword out. You jump, landing softly on the blade, before yanking bones up through the ground. Alphys may have strength on her side, but she's still not quick: she tries to avoid them, but she loses another couple hundred HP. You shortcut back to a clean patch of ground and wait for her next move. She's panting, but she finishes her earlier question. "How good are you at what you do?"

You grin. Alphys summons more blasters, followed by a couple dozen mini-Mettatons carrying bombs. You smile as you move, shortcutting easily between beams and explosions. You skewer the small calculator robots and throw a bone into one of the blaster's maws. It goes out the back with a sharp snap, and the blaster crumbles to dust.

"well," you say, and summon your own wall of blasters, a dozen in a circle around Alphys. "i may not be as experienced in spreading dust as my partner is, but-" You clench your fist, and they fire. Alphys cries out, falling to her knees, trying to shield herself with her sword. She loses several thousand HP. "-i am  _very_ good at giving humans a bad time. and you know? humans and monsters really aren't all that different."

Alphys pushes herself to her feet and then sways backward, narrowly avoiding Mettaton's projectile leg. "Sorry, darling!" he calls, and you hear the blast of a cannon and Chara grunt. "Just dealing with a brat!"

You growl at him. Alphys takes the opening, slashing a complicated pattern at you in quick succession. If you weren't so good at dodging, you'd be a pile of dusting bone splinters.

"undyne must be a real good teacher," you say. "i'd've thought the two of you'd spend all that time doing other things. guess the old fish was good for something after all."

Alphys's red eyes glint silver with tears. "Sh-shut up!"

*Alphys is losing her confidence.

*Alphys is in pain from her wounds, and has nothing to heal herself with.

*Alphys is d e t e r m i n e d to succeed.

You grin. "did i tell ya i watched undyne die in my world too? it was pathetic. she stepped in to save some stupid kid's life, and chara hit her instead. one hit and she was dusting. hardly befitting the head of the royal guard, is it?"

Silvery tears course down Alphys' yellow cheeks. "Shut... shut up..."

*Alphys is overwhelmed with grief.

*You have successfully distracted Alphys with your taunting.

You summon your blasters and trap her in a cage of sharp-tipped bone spears. She cannot escape. She raises her sword, turns it so the broad flat of the blade partially shields her from the blasters' beams. 

You smirk.

While she's distracted with the blasters, you let the bone cage sink back into the earth and the reform-

Directly beneath her feet.

She screams as you skewer her, a long ivory pike going up through her leg and out through her jaw. Her scream is gurgling and graveled, distorted as dust wells in her throat and drifts from her hands.

She drops her sword. Your blasters fade out of the air, back into the hidden folds of the universe. 

Mettaton cries out. Heh. You remember that his creator has never died before him. 

"Un... dyne..." she whispers. Her cloak reshapes into her tattered lab coat. Her goggles fall from her face, cracking open on the ground. The red sheen of her eyes fades. "U-Undyne... I... I'm... s-sorry for... keeping you w-waiting..."

"ALPHYS!"

Mettaton's never sounded so distraught in your memory. You like the sound of him in distress. It's refreshing.

Alphys closes her eyes, and dust bursts into the air, scattering down across the snowy ground. Green and yellow drift together, shifted close and mingling by the wind.

" _You bastard._ "

You hear a cannon charging.

"--No!--" Chara yells, "--that's against the rules!--"

You turn around.

Time seems to stop for a minute.

Chara's in mid-swing, one of their biggest, most heavy-duty blades aimed right at the catch of Mettaton's blaster arm. It's trained directly on you, pink energy striking out in thick arcs. Mettaton's looking right at you, face twisted into a rictus of horror and hatred. His glowing pink eye is nearly blinding in intensity as he overtaxes the arm to take you out.

You realize, watching the bright pink blast travel through the air toward your ribs, that you won't be able to dodge in time. Your shortcuts are too slow. Your movements are too slow. Chara, for all their talents, is a human, and they have knives against a robot made specifically to kill humans. They'll beat him eventually, but not in time to save you. 

It's too late.

It's too late.

You are going to die here, in a universe and timeline not your own, surrounded by the dust of your victims, the only person left to care about you a psychopathic child who murdered everyone you knew in your home timeline.

You smile. 

It was a fun life. You hope Chara can make the rest of the trip on their own. You'd hate to be the reason they'd reset all this hard work. 

Mettaton's blast makes contact with your chest. It burns through your coat and your ribs, colliding directly with your cracked soul.

_HP: 0/1._

"--NO!--"

You close your eyes. "sorry, partner," you say, dropping to your knees. Red coats your fingers when you press them to your shattered chest. 

God, out of everyone, it just had to be Mettaton, didn't it?"

"have a knife time without me, kiddo," you whisper. You don't hear their giggle. You're disappointed. They love your puns.

You let out a breath. You feel yourself crumbling. It's not a sensation you were prepared for.

_goodbye, partner._

"--SANS! SANS, NO!--"

_i wish i could've stayed with you._

Your soul, already cracked and fragile, snaps neatly in half.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Tra la la, this writer loves it when things are not what they seem~  
> ~Trol lol lol, you'll get your answers next chapter~  
> ~Tri li li, leave a comment and you get a cookie~


	4. *y o u  a r e  d e t e r m i n e d  t o  c o n t i n u e

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are improbable powerups, mental and emotional breakthroughs, and this author has misdiagnosed the main character.  
> Aka: ~~~filler~~~ but with minor plot and major feelings, so don't complain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The author asks you what you think of them.  
> *The author asks you if you really thought they'd kill their favorite character this early.  
> *The author laughs and shakes their head.  
> *The author tells you that this story is nowhere near complete.  
> *The author tells you to buckle in, because it's going to be a bumpy road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*But

 

*you

 

* r e f u s e 

 

 

 

 

*(Your soul shudders. Your dust rises back into the air. Your clothes fly up, wrap themselves around your dust. The two halves of your soul pulse and beat, and press together in desperation- in d e t e r m i n a t i o n.)

*(Your soul refuses to break. Your body refuses to dust. You refuse to die and leave your partner, your kid, your Chara alone.)

*(You open your eyes.)

 

 

*Chara is filled with r a g e.

*Chara is filled with g r i e f.

*Chara is filled with v e n g e a n c e.

*Chara is filled with d e t e r m i n a t i o n.

They're fighting harder than ever in the wake of your death. You think you're proud of them. It's... it's... 

_It's nice. Knowing someone cares that much about you._

Flowey is gone, but... well. He wasn't wrong.

Papyrus had cared, but he hadn't known you. Chara knows you, and they stay with you, and help you, and protect you, and fight for you, and...

And Chara loves you.

 

 

And you don't feel. Your soul is broken.  _You don't feel._

 _y o u **c a n ' t** f e e l_   _._

But. But.

 

You've been protecting them, too. And fighting for them. And staying with them. And helping them. And it isn't just about the fun, the new experiences, because you could have had Flowey for that. You could've taken the kid's d e t e r m i n a t i o n and given it back to Flowey, given him the reset and save power, and you'd be able to do new things, have new experiences.

But...

Flowey isn't the kid. 

Flowey isn't y o u r kid. Your p a r t n e r. Your C h a r a.

Chara is your kid. Yours to protect, to fight for, to care for, to live with, to shelter, to comfort, to heal, to help, to stay with. Your partner.

 

_~~you never gained LOVE, but~~ you gained love, you know?_

 

This... this isn't... you can't...

Y o u c a n n o t f e e l .

 

And yet. And yet, and yet, and yet.

 

 

_you gained love, you know?_

 

 

 

_C h a r a i s y o u r s , b e c a u s e . . ._

_b e c a u s e . . ._

_b  e  c  a  u  s  e .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  ._

 

 

 

_b e c a u s e y o u ** ~~L  O  V  E~~**  t h e m_

 

 

_but you c a n ' t_

_but your s o u l is b r o k e n._

_-it isn't now._

_-look at it._

_-you died, and you came back better._

_-you came back whole. healed._

_-you c a n feel now. and you feel  L  O  V  E  ._

_-isn't it wonderful?_

 

 

 

 _*_ You don't know.

 

 

*You love the F a l l e n C h i l d.

*No.

*You love _your_ child.

*You love your partner.

*You love your Chara.

 

 

And they need you.

Your eye blazes blue. You stand up, dust sifting off your sleeve and settling back as part of your arm. Chara is distracted by Mettaton, and he's distracted by them. You won't get a better opportunity.

You raise your hand. Magic floods through you. 

*You are filled with

* L O V E 

*You are filled with

*D E T E R M I N A T I O N

 

 

 

 

 

 

*(for the first time in ~~**(((((( a**~~ ~~ **l o n g t i m e ))))))**~~ , your soul is uncracked and whole, pulsing with emotion as well as magic.) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The author smirks evilly and steeples their fingers.  
> *The author tells you that if you comment, the next chapter will be tomorrow.  
> *The author tells you that Papyrus is in that chapter.  
> *The author waits for your response.


	5. throw the dust down into the glitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Mettaton makes his death absolutely fabulous, Chara discovers their own improbable power-up, and Papyrus finally re-enters the narrative.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The author is suddenly reminded that they were supposed to update today, and scramble to do so.  
> *The author hopes you enjoy this chapter, and continue reading those that come after!

Mettaton is entirely unprepared for the blast to his back. He cries out and stumbles forward. Chara's knife sweeps down, hacking his cannon free. It thunks heavily to the snowy ground, pink energy wisping from the barrel. You shortcut over to him and slam your foot down against his face to stun him. You shove bones down through the air, pinning him against the earth.

Your soul pulses warmly. 

*You are e x c i t e d.

*You are filled with cruel glee at the pain on Mettaton's metal face.

"--S...Sans?--"

Chara's hands are trembling as they tug on your sleeve. "--Sans?--"

"heya, kiddo." You smile at them.

*You are filled with L O V E.

"sorry for scarin' you like that," you continue, and avoid Mettaton's projectile leg as it kicks at you. You twist and dodge and stab it through as it bends. It falls, smoking. "didn't mean to. but i promise you, i won't leave you ever again."

(they'd never forgive you for it.)

"--You fucking better not!--" Chara yells. They grab your coat and hold you still as they clamber up your body to rest on your shoulders, wrapping their arms tight around your skull, resting their head on your skull. You feel wetness trace down your jaw. "--I... I can't... Don't leave me alone like that, you... you asshole...--"

"promise, kiddo," you say, and raise your hand. Mettaton is ringed in blasters. He looks up at the sky and sighs something that sounds like _Blooky_ and  _sorry_. "and you know i hate breaking promises."

From the porch, Frisk screams Mettaton's name. He's the only one left to them, other than his cousin, and Napstablook never does  _anything._ Frisk's family will be dust in the wind.

You smile.

"get dunked on."

Mettaton explodes into pink light and _fucking_ _glitter_ the instant before your blasters make contact. You and Chara are thrown back, but you twist spacetime and you land on your feet, one hand steadying yourself against the ground and the other grasping Chara's sweater, making sure they're still on your back. Mettaton's a smoking, shattered ruin; you guess that he self-destructed in an attempt to finish the two of you off. Ha. 

*You are d e t e r m i n e d to C O N T I N U E.

Chara drops to the ground and moves to your front. You pull them into a hug and rub your cheekbone along their hair. They're crying into your jacket.

"i'm sorry," you say. "i'm so sorry. i didn't want to scare you. i didn't want to leave you behind." You wipe tears off their cheek. "but i'm here, okay? i'm here. i won't leave you ever again, okay kiddo?"

~~(you aren't a l l o w e d to leave them)~~

Chara sniffles and wipes their nose. They hug you again.

"--Okay.--"

You get to your feet and tuck them against your side. Frisk is trembling on the porch. 

"ready to finish this, partner?"

They smile, albeit a little shakily. "--Yeah.--"

 

Frisk scrambles back into the corner of the porch. They hold their hands up in front of their face like it'll do something. 

"Please... please..."

Their voice is husky from disuse. You step back, letting Chara go forward. 

This is Chara's decision.

"--Heya, Frisk,--" they giggle. "--Do you have a me in there with you? A little voice in your head? Telling you things you shouldn't know? Giving you hints? Maybe... suggestions? Asking you to do things you wouldn't  _dream_ of doing unless... you got bored?--"

Frisk flinches. "N-no!"

"-- _Liar._ \--"

Chara drags their knife down Frisk's arm. Blood wells and falls, scarlet pattering across the wooden deck, blending with Toriel's dust. Frisk sobs. 

"--I don't like liars,--" Chara whispers. "--Tell me the truth, Frisk.--"

"Y-yes," Frisk whispers, shaking. "Yes, I have a Chara, b-but they'd n-never do something like th-this! Th-they aren't evil!"

Chara laughs.

"--Neither am I,--" they say, and jam their knife through Frisk's arm. Frisk wails. Chara giggles, draws the blade back out, licks at the blood. There's a hole right through Frisk's slender arm now. "--I'm just not an unobservant, naive little _idiot_ who thinks they can save people.--"

"I can! I did!" Frisk protests. Chara sighs. Their eyes flash black and drip down their face, into their gaping smile.

"-- I TO ld Y oU N   OT To liE to m E !--"

Frisk screams. Chara slashes open their shoulder, their leg. Frisk's wrists open into wide, red smiles. They cry out for mama, for daddy, for papyrus, for sans, for anyone.

*They call out for help.

 

*...

 

*B u t n o b o d y c a m e .

 

You put a hand on Chara's shoulder. "careful, kiddo. we don't want them to reset."

Chara pauses.

"--Very good point, partner,--" they say, smiling. Frisk shakes.

"N... no... please... pl-please... I can f-fix this, I-I have to fix this, l-leave me alone, l-let me s-save them..."

Chara laughs. They flip their knife through the air and catch the hilt.

"--You won't be saving anyone when I'm done with you.--"

They draw the blade across Frisk's neck. Chara's smile mirrors itself on the dying child's throat, wide and red and dripping.

 

*Frisk is d e t e r m i n e d to s a v e their family.

Determination sparkles in Frisk's heart, their shattered soul drawing back together-

 

"--No.--"

Chara grabs the determination right out of Frisk's soul.

*The F A L L E N C H I L D has stolen Frisk's d e t e r m i n a t i o n.

*Frisk no longer has a purpose.

*Frisk no longer has a family.

*Frisk no longer has the ability to s a v e anyone.

 

 

Chara holds the little golden sparkle of determination in their cupped hands, looking at it with wide eyes and a wider smile. They glance up at you.

"--Here.--"

They slip their hand between your ribs and press the extra determination into your soul. You shudder a little. Your eye blazes with magic. You feel amazing.

"thanks, kiddo," you say. You ruffle their hair. Dust drifts out into the air. "you did good today."

They smile brightly. "--Thanks, par-... Sans.--"

You hug them.

 

"...SANS?"

Fuck.

You forgot about Papyrus.

 

He's standing at the end of the street, looking at the two of you, surrounded in smoking metal detritus and dust and discarded clothing, Frisk's blood spotting your clothes. His eyes are welling with orange, ectoplasmic tears. He's shivering.

"SANS? WHAT... WHAT HAPPENED?"

You smile. You swing Chara up onto your shoulders and shortcut over to the skeleton who is not your brother.

"aw, papy, it's really simple," you say, like you're talking to a toddler. "we made our own happy ending."

Papyrus stumbles back.

"YOU... YOU AREN'T MY SANS."

"nope."

"--You really are an idiot,--" Chara says, giggling. "--Didn't you see the dust in Waterfall?--"

Papyrus' right eye blazes orange. Bones shoot up into the air around him. "YOU... YOU..."

You smile. "wanna have a g r e a t t i m e, partner?"

"--Of course.--"

You summon your blasters.


	6. light the match, strike the tinder; it's time to burn this funeral pyre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Papyrus needs to learn when mercy is no longer an option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The author apologizes for the cliffhanger.  
> *The author isn't really apologizing.  
> *The author thanks the commenters for commenting and helping the author continue this story.  
> *The author thanks everyone for reading in the first place.  
> *The author hopes you enjoy the chapter.

Chara twists around your neck to dodge Papyrus' first attack. The bone flies past you. You raise your own volley and let them combat Papyrus'. Both attacks connect and destroy each other in midair. Papyrus grumbles his annoyance.

You turn his soul blue and slam him face-first into the ground, once, twice, three times. Then you launch him into the air and release your magic when he's several stories up, allowing him to crash back down to earth.

Papyrus' femur snaps. His ribs are cracked. He whimpers, but forces himself back upright.

"PLEASE... PLEASE STOP..." He holds out his hands. He is trembling. "I DO NOT WISH TO FIGHT... I... I JUST WANT MY FAMILY BACK, PLEASE..." His bones sink back into the earth. The orange glow in his eyes flickers and turns to tears.

Chara pats your skull. "--Let me.--"

They use your shoulder as a springboard to launch themselves across the snow. They land a few feet in front of Papyrus, looking up at him with a small smile on their face.

"--That's not going to happen.--"

The tears in Papyrus' eyes spill over. "WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THIS? WHAT DID WE EVER DO TO YOU?"

Chara snarls. "--YOU WERE HAPPY! YOU KILLED INNOCENT CHILDREN AND STOLE THEIR SOULS AND PRETENDED WE WERE THE BAD GUYS! YOU REFUSE TO SEE HOW TERRIBLE THE WORLD TRULY IS! YOU PRETEND THAT YOU CAN SPARE PEOPLE, THAT PEOPLE CAN BE SAVED! YOU THINK THAT EVERYONE CAN BE GOOD!  _YOU HAVE NO DAMN IDEA HOW THE WORLD WORKS!_ \--"

They beat at his chest with their bare fists. One of his cracked ribs breaks entirely. He flinches and loses another twenty HP.

"CHILD..." He kneels down, carefully, and catches Chara's hands in his own. "PLEASE. PEOPLE CAN BE GOOD, IF THEY TRY. YOU COULD BE, I'M SURE OF IT. I... I'LL MAKE SURE OF IT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CAN SURELY CHANGE YOUR MIND AND SHOW YOU THE MAGNIFICENCE IN THIS WORLD!"

Chara laughs.

It's a cracking, shaking, earthquake kind of laugh. It's high and reedy and sharp, cutting into you. It's the kind of laugh that precedes a punch or a stab.

~~(the kind of laugh that echoes in your nightmares)~~

"--You... you fucking idiot,--" they whisper. "--God, your Sans has spoiled you.--"

They pull their knife out of their sweater sleeve. Papyrus jerks away, hands coming up to protect his chest. "H-HUMAN, WAIT, YOU CAN DO BETTER-"

Chara's not listening. Nor are they aiming where Papyrus is defending.

They jump, push off his shoulder, and drop their knife only to wrap themself around his neck and twist and  _pull._

Papyrus' skull comes off in their arms. He yells out in pain and horror. Chara drops to the snow, cradling his head almost kindly. His scarf flaps in the breeze they left behind. 

His body crumbles and cracks and dusts, falling in little pieces to the ground. His scarf stays, pinned under a bit of armor, fluttering like flame.

"heh," you say, coming over. "mercy ain't always the right choice, pap. you never understood that."

Papyrus is still crying. Chara hands his skull to you and smiles. 

"--He's your brother, Sans.--"

He isn't. Your brother is dust on Chara's sweater, in their hair, on their hands. Your brother is dead and gone, the last pieces of him destroyed in your own universe with your own hands.

This skull in your hands isn't your brother, no matter what his name is.

"no," you say, and drop him to the snow. "he's not."

You crush him under your foot. He dies with a sob.

(you feel nothing at all.)

(the flawless soul trembles in your chest.)

(you feel n o t h i n g  a t  a l l .)

You retrieve Chara's knife, wipe the snow off it with your sleeve and hand it to them. "wanna save, kiddo?"

They grin. "--Oh, that's a good idea.--"

*The F A L L E N C H I L D is overwriting this world's timeline.

*The F A L L E N C H I L D has overwritten the last save.

*No one is left here to fight.

You take Chara's hand and reach into your pocket. "ready to move on?"

"--You know it.--"

Their hand is warm against your bones. You pull out the little interface with the machine. "where to next, partner?"

"--Let's go somewhere with a challenge.--"

You search, and grin. "how 'bout a timeline where  _everyone_ is like us?"

Their eyes glitter red, then blaze gold, then drip black. "--Oh  _yes._ \--"

" _sans_ tastic," you smile, and press the button.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The author thanks their new friend HeartOfInk for the suggestion of the next universe to hop to.  
> *The author asks that you comment and kudos if you enjoyed the story.  
> *The author promises you a cookie if you do so.


	7. Select File: DFT://d3t3rm1n4t10n/part-7-un3xp3ct3d|m33t1ngs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> E̡RR̢O̴R̕:̢ ͢FILE҉ ͞NO̕T ͢FOÚND̶;̴ R͞EFR̀ES͡H̡I͞N̢G.̧.́.̡  
> ER̀R̛OR:҉ D̶AT͜A T͜O͝O̸K ҉TO͠O͜ ̶L͟ON̨G̨ ́TO̸ LO̷AD; RE̵FRES̛HI͝NG.̴.́.̧  
> ERR̶OR: R͞EF̶RE̛SH̛ING UŅS͏U҉CCES̨SF́UL.  
> PLE͞A҉ŞE R̡EŚT͘A҉R҉T T͏O CONT̵ÌN̢U̷E  
> ͝  
> ̛PL͢ea̕S̶ ͘E re̢STARt͞ ̴T ͞o̷ CO͡ ntiN U̕E͞  
> ҉P ̡l͏e̶A S#̷ ̛R333s̡ T͞ ̢a̛R͘T ̶to̡ C̴0nt1̶n̵ù3#͟#̀#̷/́\/̛\/͏\/\͜:̢:͢:͜r#͏s333͝33ttt͝  
> ̷ę ̡R̨ R̛ ̛o͡ r : :̴ : ͡: :҉ ͞: .҉ ̷. ̢.̢ att̸e̴m̵P͟T̶ ͘I̛ N̕ gto ̢di͢AĢ no̴S̛3 ͘.̷ . . ̢. .́  
> ̷l͡ o ̧A̶D1̡n̷ g.͏ ̢..̴  
> ̸  
> ̢
> 
>  
> 
> ͘  
> ̸  
> ̕*͘p̀ ͝ ͜l͟ ͞e ̶ ̢a ̸s͘ ͠ę  
> *r ̡ ̧e̷ s͜ ̕t ̸ ̶a r ͟t̨

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * T h e a u t h o r i s s t r a n g e l y s i l e n t .  
> * Y o u d e c i d e t o i n v e s t i g a t e o n y o u r o w n .  
> * ( I n t h e d i s t a n c e , c r y i n g c a n b e h e a r d . Y o u p u t i t o u t o f y o u r m i n d a n d p r e s s o n w a r d . )

 

 

 

 

 

 

*(You ask to see all the souls left in DefectTale.)

*(There is the remnants of one, left in a shattered scrap of metal that used to be shaped like a heart. Once, it called itself Mettaton. Once, it was named Happstablook.)

*(There is one soul hidden away deep inside the labs in Hotland. It is cracked with grief and fear and loneliness. It calls itself Alphys, but it no longer holds any titles.)

*(There is a piece of a soul in the Ruins, near the sunlit hole where humans arrive. If it was a human soul, it would be green, but it is a monster soul, and so it is white. It is lonely, and almost unaware of its own existence. It wants to go home, but it does not know where home is. It misses someone or someones, but it does not know who they are. It had a name, once, but it has forgotten it.)

*(There is a soul in Waterfall, an old, old soul. Too old. It waits to die, and join its protege as the dust coating the Underground.)

*(There is a soul in Snowdin. It is angry and lonely and in mourning. It has lost friends, family, and purpose, but it carries on. It does not know why. It simply feels as though it must, as though it must live for those who did not. It feels betrayed by its best friend- a friend who was, perhaps, never a friend at all; a friend who, perhaps, the soul had never known anything about.)

*(There is a tattered scrap of soul floating in the wibbly-wobbly timespace surrounding the Underground. It mourns its children, and despises their murderer and manipulator. It is guilty, and angry, and slowly going mad from isolation. It wishes for power, the power to return, the power to mete out justice on the f a l l e n c h i l d who ripped its family into dust. It is all but forgotten. You put it out of your mind.)

*(There is a soul drifting through the Underground, lost and shattered. It seems to searching for something, but it will not find it. It alternates between singing in a soft, cracking voice, or sobbing so hard it seems like it might tear itself apart. The soul is looking for anyone else. It will not find them... not without help that it does not have.)

 

 

 

*(You are about to leave when a voice resonates inside your mind.)

*((  ~~ **h e l l o , w a n d e r e r .**~~ ))

*(You do not speak the language the soul is using, but you understand its words anyway, though it feels like they're coming to you through a thick layer of static.)

*(You ask the voice where it came from and what it wants from you.)

*(You do not ask it who it is, or rather, who it was. You suspect that you already have that answer.)

*((  ~~ **i c a m e f r o m e l s e w h e r e . t h e p l a c e b e y o n d . i w a n t y o u r h e l p .**~~ ))

*(You tell the voice to be less vague. It annoys you.)

*(You ask the voice what in the hell you could possibly help it with, and why it thinks  _you_ of all people could help.)

*((  ~~ **i s p e a k i n a w a y y o u c a n c o m p r e h e n d . i f i w a s t o b e m o r e d e t a i l e d , i w o u l d r u p t u r e y o u r b r a i n .**~~ ))

*(You open your mouth to protest. The voice interrupts you easily.)

*((  ~~ **a n d i h a v e c o m e t o y o u i n p a r t i c u l a r b e c a u s e y o u h o l d a u n i q u e p o w e r i n y o u r h a n d s . y o u a r e t h e o n l y o n e w h o c a n h e l p m e .**~~ ))

*(You ask the voice what this power is. You are enveloped in warmth, then cold, then numbness. Black surrounds you, shifting and whirling hypnotically. You shut your eyes, but the black patterns continue moving on the insides of your eyelids.)

*((  ~~ **y o u h o l d i n f l u e n c e o v e r . . . _t h e m ._ y o u c a n d o w h a t i - w h a t  _w e_ \- c a n n o t . y o u c a n  F  I  X  t h i s . y o u c a n  S  A  V  E  u s.**~~ ))

*(You ask the voice what it needs saving from. You ask who they are, and why you can convince them to save the voice. You ask what needs fixing.)

*((  ~~ **t h e w o r l d i s b r o k e n . i t s p i e c e s d e s t r o y e d a n d s c a t t e r e d . i t s c h a m p i o n b r o k e n a n d m a d e c o m p l i a n t - a p u p p e t o n c r i m s o n s t r i n g s . y o u m u s t c o n v i n c e _t h e m_  t o s e t t h i n g s r i g h t , t o r e t u r n u s t o n o r m a l . t h i s w o r l d i s u n s t a b l e . p l e a s e .  S  A  V  E  U  S  . t h e r e i s g o o d i n y o u , i c a n t e l l . p l e a s e , d o n ot w a t c h u s s u f f e r a n y m o r e . f i x  _t h e i r_ c h a n g e s . f r e e u s .**~~ ))

*(You ask the voice how you can do that.)

*((  ~~ **u s e y o u r p o w e r . i c a n n o t s u s t a i n m y s e l f h e r e l o n g . p l e a s e , w a n d e r e r . . . p l e a s e s a v e us .**~~ ))

~~**_*( d i d n ' t y o u c a r e a b o u t u s , o n c e u p o n a t i m e ? )_ ** ~~

*(You nod to the voice. The blackness flickers, beginning to recede.)

*(You clench your fists. You did care about them. You  _do_ care about them. You can do this. You can do anything you set your mind to.)

*(Y o u a r e d e t e r m i n e d t o )

 

 

 

~~***N 0 .** ~~

 

~~*The author has arrived.~~

~~***S0rry,** they say, ***** **but th4t 1sn't gonn4 h4pp3n. Th1s 1s my w0r!d 4nd my ru!3s. Y0u c4n't b34t m3 h3r3.**  
~~

~~*You challenge them. You have the power, right? You're d e t e r m i n e d , and they listen to you. They always have before! The voice was right. You can do this. You can fix things.~~

~~*The author laughs. It is a low, sad sound.~~

**~~*H3h. 1 th0ught y0u w3r3 sm4rt3r th4n th4t.~~ **

~~*The author raises their hands. Bright lines of silver light dart through the blackness, boxing you in. A buzzing hum fills your ears. The author's words are difficult to make out through it.~~

~~*The author is fighting~~ ~~you.~~ ~~~~

~~***S0rry,** the author says again.  ***Y0u d1dn't g1v3 m3 4 ch01c3 h3r3.**  
~~

~~*You check the author's stats.~~

~~*ATK:~~

~~*DEF:~~

~~*HP:~~

~~*LV:~~

~~*The author does not want to fight... but they will.~~

~~*The author shakes their head at you. They cross their arms.~~

**~~1'!! !3t y0u h4v3 f1rst m0v3. N0t !1k3 1t m4tt3rs.~~ **

~~*You don't want to fight the author... but to S A V E your friends... to F I X the timeline... to get your precious h a p p y e n d i n g... you'll do it.~~

~~*You are determined to fix this.~~

~~*You check your inventory. You have a box of cookies, a soft purple dog collar, a fur-lined blue jacket, a tupperware of spaghetti, and a... a...- what is that? - a mysterious vial of... something dark and wriggling.~~

~~*You decide to not touch that.~~

~~*You check your ACT options.~~

~~*You can: FLIRT     COMMENT      ASK FOR UPDATE      INSULT      CLOSE TAB      PLEAD     GIVE IN~~

~~*There is a MERCY button, but there is no RUN AWAY option. You can't say you're surprised.~~

~~*There is a FIGHT button, but you don't want to use it. You don't want to fight.~~

~~*You check your own stats.~~

~~*ATK: 4~~

~~*DEF: 7~~

~~*HP: 101~~

~~*LV: 1~~

~~*You > Act > Plead: You ask the author to please reconsider. ~~

~~*The author looks away from you, bringing their arms up to wrap around themselves in a parody of a hug.~~

**~~*Th1s 1s th3 0n!y~~ ~~w4y.~~ ~~~~**

~~*It sounds like they're trying to convince themself.~~

~~*The author shakes their head at you. They tell you that they will not go back on their decision.~~

~~*The author is d e t e r m i n e d to C O N T I N U E .~~

**~~*1'v3 d0ne t00 much t0 g0 b4ck n0w.~~ **

~~*The author attacks!~~

~~*You are hemmed in on all sides by... laptop keys? Okay then. The edges look weirdly sharp.~~

~~*You crouch down, but they follow you. Your throat feels tight. They're getting a lot closer, and they're... they look _really_ sharp. You aren't amused by the author's weapon of choice anymore.~~

~~*The author seems to be using the Undertale style of fighting mechanics. Okay. You can do this. You just need to time it right...~~

~~*You jump, allowing the keys to smash into each other below you. The enter key grazes your arm. Blood wells from the gash and you fall back to the ground, dropping to one knee and grasping your arm to stop the bleeding. Your knees crunch against the fractured keys. They're sharp; they tear your pants, scrape and cut your knees. You force yourself to your feet.~~

~~*You > Act > Access inventory > You put on the blue jacket, hoping it'll serve as some sort of armor. It's exactly your size. Weird.~~

~~*It smells like cinnamon and saltwater and ketchup. Not a combination of scents you ever expected to like, but it's weirdly soothing.~~

~~*The author stares you down. Your HP is down to 95.~~

~~***G1v3 up. 1 d0 n0t w1sh t0 f1ght.**  
~~

~~*You tell the author you don't want to fight, either, but they aren't leaving you much of a choice.~~

~~*The author laughs.~~

**~~*Y0u sp34k 4s 1f 31th3r 0f us h4v3 th4t ch01c3.~~ **

~~*You've used your turn. The author can attack again now.~~

~~*But... they don't.~~

~~*Author > Act > Access Inventory > They pull out a black laptop and open it, balancing it on... nothing, somehow. They type quickly, biting their lip. They ignore you as they work. When they finish, they look back at you with a half-smile on their face and smooth their half-purple hair back from their face.~~

**~~*Just m4k1ng sur3 3v3ryth1ng 1s 1n w0rk1ng 0rd3r.~~  
**

~~~~~~*The author crooks their finger at you in a 'come-hither' gesture. Right. It's your turn.~~

~~*You don't want to fight.~~

~~*Well... this always worked for Frisk, right?~~

~~*You > Act > Flirt~~

~~*The author snorts.~~

**~~*R3a!!y, 1'm~~ ** ~~**fl4tt3r3d.**  They roll their shoulders back and tug at the cuff of their flannel overshirt, pulling it a little further out from the sleeve of their jacket.  ***But, uh, y0u 4r3n't my 3x, 4nd 1'm n0t g3tt1ng 0v3r th3m 4nyt1me s00n, s0... th4t w0n't w0rk 0n m3.**~~ ~~~~

~~*Under different circumstances, you'd stop fighting now and spend time talking about the author's mysterious ex and why, if the author still loves them, they're apart. But this isn't the time.~~

~~*It's the author's turn. They don't waste an attack this time.~~

~~*Your eyes widen. A large box of text pivots slowly over the author's head, splitting into chunks of text. You can make out pieces of sentences, bits of words. The author draws their jackets tighter around their chest; it's only when they move to hide it do you notice the faint light coming from their ribs. Their soul?~~

~~***L3t's s33 h0w y0u** ~~ ~~**f4r3.** ~~

~~*It's only when you're dodging that you realize what the text is- spam comments. You snort involuntarily. Are all the attacks so predictable? Aren't there any surprises? You expect more out of them.~~

~~*The author shudders. Their attack falters for a moment, pieces of text flickering in and out of existence, before their fists clench and the attack kicks back, stronger than before. One slams into your back and knocks you to the ground. In your disorientation, you are clipped twice more.~~

~~*Your HP has been reduced to 87.~~

~~*The author is shaking slightly. Their eyes, half-hidden behind a mop of brown-and-purple hair and their glasses, flash red and silver light.~~

**~~*1 kn0w 1'm 4 p13c3 0f sh1t, 4lr1ght? Y0u d0n't h4v3 t0 fuck1ng r3m1nd m3.~~ **

~~*...~~

~~*Had they heard your thought? You... you just thought... you've come to expect more of their writing! You just meant that having the author use only writing-related attacks felt too predictable!~~

~~***D0n't fuck1ng !13. D0n't try t0 w0rm y0ur w4y 0ut. 1 kn0w wh4t y0u m34nt.**  
~~

~~*You try to reassure the author that really, you didn't mean to insult them...~~

~~*...but they don't seem to be in the mood to listen.~~

~~*You > Act > Comment: You tell the author that their work is amazing and you're so grateful that they exist.~~

~~*The author seems to shrink from your words, hiding their face and holding up a hand like a shield.~~

**~~*D0n't... d0n't... d0n't~~ ** ~~**!13**. Their laugh is shuddering and hoarse.  ***1 kn0w wh3n p30p!3 4r3 !y1ng. St0p. 1t's... 1t's just my w0rk. Y0u just w4nt th3 st0ry. 1'm... 1'm n0t wh4t y0u w4nt.**~~

~~*The author is considering their options.~~

**~~*Y0u w4nt m0r3 cr3at1v1ty?~~ **

~~*A massive pill bottle appears at the author's side. The cap pops off and you are forced back into the battle screen. The pill bottle slowly begins to tip over.~~

**~~*Th3 th1ng 4b0ut t4k1ng s3v3n p1!!s 4 d4y 1s... y0u c4n't r3a!!y f0rg3t 4b0ut th3m.~~ **

~~*The pills rain down around you. They're almost half your size; you scramble to throw yourself through the cracks between pills in time. The pills act differently according to color: white and powdery are fast and hard-hitting, knocking out ten HP per hit; small and golden are quick, but barely effective, unlike the large golden ovals, which- while slow- hit as hard as the white; the slender yellowish one deals medium damage and is relatively easy to dodge; and the blue-and-white pill actually restores five HP when you touch it. Surely that means something, but not to you.~~

~~*The author asks you how long you think you can keep this up.~~

~~*You tell them you'll hold on as long as it takes.~~

~~*The author laughs.~~

**~~*D0n't try 4nd b3 4~~ ** ~~**h3r0** , they say harshly. You don't move fast enough and are knocked back by a white pill.  ***N0n3 0f us 4r3 g00d 3n0ugh t0 b3 h3r03s.**~~ ~~~~

~~*The author's attack ends. You drop to your knees, gasping for breath. Blood has dried on your arm. Your HP is at 80. Okay. That's fine.~~

~~*You > Act > Comment: You tell the author that they don't need to force themself to do things just because your opinion of them is higher than their own.~~

~~*The author looks away.~~

**~~*1f 1 0nly d1d th1ngs f0r mys3lf w1th0ut c4r1ng 4b0ut 0th3rs,, 1'd h4v3 k1!!3d mys3lf y34rs 4g0.~~ **

~~*You flinch.~~

~~*The author shrugs. They seem to have gotten their confidence back, but... you don't think you like why.~~

**~~*1'v3 h4d, wh4t... f1v3, s1x y34rs t0 g3t us3d t0 th4t? 1 k33p f0rg3tt1ng th4t 1t's n0t 4 r3gu!4r p4rt 0f !1f3 f0r m0st p30p!3.~~ **

~~*It's the author's turn.~~

~~*They return to their original motif: a volley of sharp-tipped pencils readies at their shoulder. They thrust their hand forward, and the pencils launch toward you. You are reminded of the Undyne fight, but this time you can move and have no shield~~

~~~~~~*You're getting quicker. You only lose another seven HP. You can't tell whether it makes the author happy, annoyed, or just sadder.~~

**~~*P!34s3 g1v3~~ ~~up.~~ ~~~~**

~~*Well, at least you know your answer.~~

~~*You tell the author that you will never give up. They give the same tired, sad laugh, and assure you that you will.~~

~~*You > Act > Comment: You ask the author to explain why they're doing this.~~

~~*The author shakes their head. They do not answer your question.~~

~~*The author enters the battle screen with you.~~

~~*They raise their hands, a soft glow bleeding through their shirt. It distracts you just long enough for your foot to be caught on the edge of the razor-sharp pencils emerging from the ground. You twist through the maze of crimson wood and sharp graphite points, making your way toward the edge of the deadly forest. You are stabbed more than once, but you push on.~~

~~*You make it out.~~

~~*The author blocks your path.~~

~~*The author is determined to stop you.~~

~~*The author is determined to continue.~~

**~~*S0rry.~~ **

~~*The author removes something from their inventory. You are frozen in place, waiting for their next action.~~

~~*The author attacks you.~~

~~*The author hits you over the head with their computer.~~

~~*You stumble, blood dripping into your eye, your heartbeat pounding along to the pain in your head. You clutch at the cut at your hairline and squint up at the author.~~

~~*They're holding their cracked laptop under one arm, looking down at you. Their glasses are opaque white, hiding their eyes from your vision.~~

**~~*1 c4nn0t 4!!0w y0u t0 c0nt1nu3. G1v3 up n0w, 4nd 1 w1!! n0t hurt y0u 4nym0r3.~~ **

**~~*1 n3v3r w4nt3d th1s f1ght.~~ **

~~*You force yourself to your feet. Your HP has dropped dramatically from just the one hit, down from seventy-five to sixty. What is that laptop made of, titanium?~~

~~***D3t3rm1n4t10n, h4t3, d3sp3r4t10n, 4nd j0y,** the author says dryly.  ***1'v3 p0ur3d 4 !0t 1nt0 th1s 0!d th1ng.**  
~~

~~*The author waits for you to use your turn.~~

~~*You don't want to use this, but... when you'd done it accidentally before... they'd hesitated. Maybe... maybe you can just... weaken them enough to change their mind? It, it would be for the greater good, saving this whole world... and you can make it up to them later...~~

~~*You are determined to do whatever you must to succeed.~~

~~*You > Act > Insult: You tell the author that the only reason you ever read their work was out of pity. You saw a small-time author and thought they might want some attention, and then they got clingy and you couldn't make yourself leave.~~

~~*The author flinches. The white glare of their glasses flickers, letting you see glimpses of welling tears and wide brown eyes.~~

~~***N-N0. 1 h4v3 fr1ends h3r3, 1 d0. Th3y, th3y !1k3 my w0rk, th3y must 0r th3y w0u!dn't r3ad 1t...**  
~~

~~***Th3y... th3y h4v3 t0...**~~

~~***Th3y w-w0uldn't l13...** ~~

~~~~~~*The author is distraught.~~

~~*The author is too distracted to keep the rules going. This is your chance, if you want to take it.~~

~~*You > Act > Plead: You beg the author to end this and let everyone go.~~

~~*The author is conflicted. They've never wanted to be the bad guy. They don't want to fight. They don't want to be the villain.~~

_just give up. i did._

~~*You > Act > Plead: You ask the author to make the right choice. If Asriel could be saved, so can they.~~

~~*You > Act > Comment: You tell the author that you're sure that there's a good person inside them. You're sure they can do the right thing.~~

_you can save everyone._

_you are determined to succeed._

~~*You > Act > Comment: You tell the author that the two of you can fix all this if they just end the battle. You tell the author that they don't need to be the bad guy.~~

_do you believe that deep down inside everyone is the spark of someone good?_

_do you believe that everyone can be redeemed?_

_do you believe that everyone deserves a second chance?  
_

~~*You > Act > Plead: You ask the author to give everyone the happy ending they deserve.~~

**_*you really are an idiot._ **

~~*The author laughs at you. They raise their head, wiping tears from under their glasses. They smile, but it is Chara's kind of smile.~~

**~~*Y0u c4n't be th4t naiv3. Y0u think th3y 4ll deserv3 4 h4ppy 3nding?~~ **

~~*You > Act > Comment: You try to backtrack: you just meant that the characters who deserve it should get it, that's all, and the author can have one too-~~

**_~~*LIAR.~~ _ **

~~~~~~*The author raises their hands. Silver light pools in their palms, echoing the strengthening glow beneath their shirt.~~

**~~*Heh. You almost managed to convince me. Clever reader. But I won't give in so easily.~~ **

**~~*I know more about this world than you, or anyone else.~~ **

**~~*You listened to him. I don't blame you. It's easy to believe what he says.~~ **

**~~*But he doesn't know what I know. He doesn't know how to fix this world, only that it must be done and that you could convince me to do it.~~ **

~~*The author chuckles again. You are trapped in the battle screen, but the edges glow silver and they're closing in toward you.~~

**~~*I didn't want to do this, but... well.~~ **

**~~*We're all out of choices at this point.~~ **

~~*The edges grow closer, closer, yet closer. You wrap your arms around yourself and stay very still.~~

**~~*There was only ever one choice to make.~~ **

~~*You close your eyes, but the glow persists behind your eyelids.~~

**~~*All we can do... all we could ever do... was _C 0 N T 1 N U 3 ._~~ **

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*(You blink. What... why does your head hurt?)

*(You look at your screen. It's too bright; it hurts your eyes. You dial it back and try to remember... what? What are you forgetting?)

*(You... you were... looking at something. Reading. Fanfiction? Yes, right, fanfiction! Undertale... no, an AU.... yes! That new one you like, DefectTale! You were reading the newest chapter...)

*(What... what was... what happened in that chapter, again...?)

*(...)

*(Oh! Oh, right, you remember! There was a little bit of reader-interaction, and you checked in on DefectTale's original timeline. Huh. More than Alphys is alive, huh? And Gaster's lurking around somewhere... cool.)

*(You wonder what that has to do with the main story, but you suppose you'll find out when it's published. You can be patient. You're sure of it.)

*(You leave the tab. You have other things to do.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~~***I'm s0 s0rry...** ~~

~~***1 h4d no ch01ce.** ~~

**~~*I'm 4s h3lp!ess as y0u 4re h3re.~~ **


	8. royal scientists unite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the fourth wall is punched into oblivion... 4 g 4 1 n .
> 
> (And, despite what the chapter title says, there is no actual unity between royal scientists. Sorry for bursting the bubble.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The author warns you to get used to meta with their work.  
> *The author tells you to read "two can keep a secret if no one's left to hear it" BEFORE reading this chapter, because you will be quite lost if you don't.  
> *The author gives a shout-out to Hereisthere_gg, whose theories about the True Plot are closer than what everyone else has said.  
> *The author wonders what the events of this chapter will spawn in Hereisthere_gg's head.  
> *=)

~~*** . . .** ~~

~~***wh4t 4r3 y0u d01ng h3r3?** ~~

~~***y0u g0t y0ur m3t4 ch4pt3r. w3 ch3ck3d b4ck w1th th3 h0m3 un1v3rs3. wh4t d0 y0u w4nt n0w?** ~~

~~***...** ~~

~~***0h. 1 s33.** ~~

~~***w3!!, 1 supp0s3 1 c4n l3t y0u s33 h3r. truth b3 t0!d, sh3 c0u!d us3 th3 c0mp4ny.** ~~

 

 

 

 

 

~~~~*The first Alphys you are brought to is the one Sans *SPARED.

*She is lonely and wracked with grief, but she is d e t e r m i n e d to fix her world.

*She knows what you do not. She knows why her world is broken, and she knows how to fix it.

*Unfortunately, she can't do it on her own.

*That's why she moved her base of operations into Sans' abandoned lab. 

*The machine is still there, still working. 

*Alphys is an engineer, and one familiar with Sans' and Gaster's work.

*For the first time in a long time, she is certain that she can fix something.

*She has confidence.

*She has bravery.

*She has perseverance.

*She has patience.

*Given enough time, she will succeed.

 

 

 

~~***h4ppy n0w? y0u g0t s0m3th1ng p0s1t1v3, f0r 0nc3.** ~~

~~***...** ~~

~~***r34!!y? st1!!?** ~~

~~***...** ~~

~~***ugh. f1n3.** ~~

~~***...** ~~

~~***1 supp0s3 1t _w0u!d_ b3 unf41r t0 0n!y !00k 1n 0n 0n3 0f th3m.** ~~

 

 

 

 

*The second Alphys you visit is the future version of the one before, the one who twisted reality around herself and got stranded outside of it. 

*The V 0 1 D is closer here. The e r a s e d ones have been helping Alphys and Flowey with their bridge to the other worlds, and with the theories of how to fix things.

*Gaster notices your approach, but he does not alert anyone to you. He simply continues working.

*You notice that Flowey is in a pot and that Alphys has a scar on her cheek. She's wearing Undyne's jacket, and you notice one of Undyne's glowing spears half-hidden under a stack of papers. 

*You keep looking around.

*There's a lot in this existential crisis of a lab. All the detritus of the wrecked timelines end up here once they are reset or abandoned. 

*This lab has been here for a long, long time. 

*You see a glass case storing nothing but red scarves. Next to it is a smaller case with neatly-folded blue jackets. There's a weapons rack with more of Undyne's spears and an identical pair of Asgore's trident. There are pieces of Mettaton and Mettaton EX's body scattered around, in boxes or on walls or tables or on the floor, soul cases and sharp-tipped legs and sleeping metal faces with burnt-out eyes. One of Toriel's dresses is hung on a wall next to a stack of cookbooks. A set of bulky earphones is hooked to the wall, near a singed black tie.

*There are things you don't recognize as easily, too. There's a head that looks like Mettaton's, but the hair is blue and the facial features are different. There's a pair of blue gloves tied together with a blue handkerchief, a golden coronet that would fit perfectly on Toriel's head, a ripped black jacket lined in red fur, a chestplate with spikes on the shoulders, a small golden jetpack embossed with silver stars. What looks like a spacesuit, minus the helment, is folded up underneath a sparkling silver crown studded with star-shaped sapphires; an orange hoodie with burns on the sleeves and rips in the pocket lies haphazardly next to a pair of red gloves with spikes on the knuckles. A knife, snapped in two, lies next to a green and yellow sweater with the shoulder ripped away, teeth marks in the surviving sleeve. 

*Flowey's pot sits atop a pile of papers. He's shifting through them, carefully pulling one sheet after another out from under him and skimming through them to determine their usefulness before tossing them away. A grumbling shade, a monster with one foot in the door of reality, is crouched down and picking up after him. 

*Gaster looks at you again, then glances at Alphys. He shakes his head gently to himself and looks back down at his work.

~~***th4t's 0ur cu3.** ~~

*The author takes your hand and pulls you away. You struggle, wanting to see more, but the author is stronger than you are in this realm.

 

 

 

~~***pr3tty sur3 w3 0n!y h4v3 0n3 0r tw0 m0r3. 1 d0n't th1nk th1s un1v3rs3 h4s 4nym0r3 d1v3rg3nc3s th4n th4t...** ~~

~~***y3t, 4nyw4y...** ~~

 

 

 

*The third Alphys is jumpy and quiet. Her Undyne has learned to be gentle with her, never roaring or smashing things around Alphys. 

*Flowey is unusually friendly with this Alphys. You notice that while he does visit with his parents and Papyrus frequently, he seems to live with Undyne and Alphys. 

*You see Alphys working in a new lab with human coworkers. You see Alphys avoiding Sans' touch, avoiding the company of the fallen child, avoiding conflict altogether.

*You see Alphys lying atop a hill outside the town, gazing up at the stars, Flowey dug into the ground by her head. You see her smile as she speaks to him in a language you can't understand about things you don't know.

*You want to know more. You don't understand this world. How is this DefectTale? Why is everyone alive? What happened here?

*The author's hand comes down on your shoulder.

~~***g0d, y0u'r3 l0ud. d0n't y0u kn0w 4!! y0u h4v3 t0 d0 1s 4sk?** ~~

*You feel a little foolish. You ask the author your questions once more.

~~***th1s 1s th3 w0r!d wh3r3 th3 1nt3r-d1m3ns10n4! t3!3p0rt3r f41!3d. ch4r4 r3s3t, 4nd d3c1d3d t0 s33 wh4t th3 4ft3rm4th 0f 4 p4c1f1st r0ut3 w0u!d b3. s4ns 1s st1!! br0k3n, f!0w3y 1s st1!! !0st, 4!phys 1s un4b!3 t0 trust r34!1ty 0r th0s3 c!0s3st t0 h3r, 4nd n0th1ng h4s b33n s0!v3d. 1t's r34!!y qu1t3 4 d3pr3ss1ng 3nd1ng.** ~~

~~~~*But isn't this the 'Soulless' route? you ask. The one the author called "the pacifist equivalent" once?

*How can this be worse than the main storyline? The "Runner" route?

~~***b3c4us3 w1th Runner, th3r3's g01ng t0 b3 r3s0!ut10n. 3v3ryth1ng th4t h4s br0k3n w1!! b3 m3nd3d. h3r3, th3r3 1s n0n3 0f th4t. 0n!y th3 1!!us10n 0f h4pp1n3ss and 4 sh1tt0n 0f ptsd.** ~~

*Excitedly, you ask when the resolution will come. You want to know how everything will be fixed!

~~***34g3r, 4r3n't w3? 1t's n0t t1m3 f0r th4t y3t.** ~~

*You pout.

~~~~*The author snorts at you and opens the final door.

 

 

 

~~***h3r3 w3 4r3. th3 l4st d1v3rg3nc3 s0 f4r.** ~~

 

 

* . . .

*You don't recognize this place.

 

 

~~***1'm n0t surpr1s3d.** ~~

 

 

*You see Alphys, of course. She is standing at the entrance to the Underground, where the barrier used to stand. Her lab coat is drifting in the wind. Her eyes are closed, but you see tears sparkling in her eyes.

*You see the fallen child, wrapped in their blue and purple sweater, curled up on the ground at Alphys' side. Their knees are tugged up against their chest, and their eyes are wide open.

*Their eyes are brown, and they are crying just as hard as Alphys, if not harder.

*When you come closer, you can hear their stuttered words.

* _i ' m s o s o r r y , i t ' s m y f a u l t , i ' m s u p p o s e d t o b e a b l e t o s a v e e v e r y o n e , i c o u l d n ' t - i s h o u l d ' v e -_

*The third person on the mountain kneels down to pull Frisk into a fierce hug.

*"It's okay, Frisk!  _w e p r o m i s e ._ It's okay.  _w e d o n ' t b l a m e y o u , k i d ._ Don't cry, it isn't your fault!  _i t w a s o u r c h o i c e , n o t y o u r s ._ "

*The third person is Asriel. A flawless white soul glows inside his chest. He's wearing Sans's jacket.

*You don't understand what's going on, but you are afraid.

*Alphys is crying harder. Asriel pulls her down into the hug, too.

*"I'm sorry, Alphys...  _w e d i d n ' t w a n t t o h u r t y o u , a l ._ I... I just wanted... we just wanted to help everyone.  _i ' m n o t g o n e , a l , i p r o m i s e ._ Is... there anything I can do to make this better, easier, for you?  _i l o v e y o u , a n d t h a t ' s n o t e v e r g o n n a c h a n g e , n o m a t t e r w h a t h a p p e n s t o u s . "_

Alphys is still crying, but she's hugging Asriel back. Frisk is squished between the two of them; they grip tight to Alphys' lab coat and press their wet face into Asriel's worn blue jacket. 

"I love you too," Alphys sobs. Asriel strokes her head spines comfortingly. Frisk lets go of her coat to hug her. "Please don't leave me again. Please. I, I can't lose anyone else, I can't lose you again, please, not again, never again..."

" _i ' m n o t g o i n g a n y w h e r e , a l . i p r o m i s e . "_

Alphys sniffles, wipes her eyes against the lining of Asriel's jacket. "Y-you hate promises."

"  _e x a c t l y . t h a t ' s h o w s e r i o u s i a m . "_

 

*. . .

*You don't understand.

*You aren't sure you want to understand.

~~***f41r 3n0ugh. th1s 0n3... th1s 0n3's n0t 3x4ct!y th3 h4pp13st 3nd1ng.**~~

~~~~*This is the ending? Why are you being shown the _ending?_ What happened before? Why did everything you're watching happen? Where is Sans? Why is Asriel like this? How did he get his soul back?  _What the hell is going on?!_

~~***...** ~~

~~***y0u m1ght h4v3 s33n 4n 3mpty s3r13s 0n my 4cc0unt. th1s 1s th3 st0ry th4t w1!! 3v3ntu4!!y b3 1n 1t.** ~~

~~***1 w0n't t3!! y0u 3v3ryth1ng- sp01!3rs, 4nd 4!! th4t- but th3 b3g1nn1ng pr3m1s3 1s th4t... w3!!... wh4t 1f s4ns' d34th 1n ch4pt3r thr33... f1x3d h1m, s0 t0 sp34k? 1t ch4ng3s 4 !0t... n0t n3c3ss4r1!y f0r th3 b3tt3r, m1nd y0u.** ~~

*You demand more.

*The author  _tsks_ at you.

~~***gr33d gr33dy gr33dy! h4v3 p4t13nc3, d4r!1ng. 1t w1!! c0m3, d0n't w0rry.** ~~

 

 

~~~~*The world is fading out around you.

*No, wait! You don't want to go yet! You want to know more!

~~***h4v3 p4t1enc3. y0u w1!! h4v3 y0ur 4nsw3rs 3v3ntu4!!y.** ~~

~~***1 pr0m1s3.** ~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

**~~*s t a y d e t e r m i n e d .~~ ** ~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The author calmly swirls away into the V 0 1 D .  
> *Their parting message?:  
> *g3t r34dy f0r th3 h4!!0w33n upd4t3, d34r13s. w3'r3 g01ng s0m3wh3r3 s c a r y t0m0rr0w.

**Author's Note:**

> *The author thanks you for reading, and hopes you enjoyed!  
> *They have a plan for this story, but it is a loose one.  
> *If there's an AU you want to be visited, a timeline you want destroyed, or an event you want to see happen, comment and tell the author.  
> *They can't promise it'll appear, but audience participation is encouraged and will be acknowledged!  
> *(Just check the comment threads for proof...)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Shield Operator OC vs DefecTale Sans and Chara (with permission from author)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8439469) by [Sky_Kid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sky_Kid/pseuds/Sky_Kid)




End file.
